Stolen
by coffeebuddha
Summary: Lina is kidnapped by a madman who wants to add her to his collection of unique women. After six years she escapes, but several things have changed, both for her and her friends. Prologue thru Chapter Five Up
1. Prologue: Escape

Stolen  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine. I've moved on, you should too.  
  
Prologue  
  
***  
  
But evil things, in robes of sorrow,  
  
Assailed the monarch's high estate.  
  
(Ah, let us mourn!-for never morrow  
  
Shall dawn upon him desolate!  
  
And round about his home, and glory  
  
That blushed and bloomed  
  
Is but a dim-remembered story  
  
Of the old time entombed.  
  
-exert from The Haunted Palace, Edgar Allan Poe  
  
***  
  
Dark, ominous clouds filled the sky, turning day into night. Thunder rumbled and lightning streaked haphazardly across the heavens. Its eerie, momentary glow was enough to reveal the sinister-looking palace that sprawled across the ground surrounded by ornate gardens and gloomy forests. The slight figure of a young woman darted towards a window, paused momentarily to tug vainly at its latch, and continued on to the next. After struggling for several minutes with the windows she turned and ran deeper into the shadowed depths of the citadel. She gasped in shallow gulps of air as she ran, the sound hollow and loud in the barren corridor. She concentrated on the ragged breaths and the sound of her sandaled feet slapping against the chilly stone floor to drown out the echo of her heart beating deafeningly in her ears. The passage split and she veered to the left, slipped on the edge of a rug, and fell to her knees, dropping the small child in her arms in the process.  
  
The child, a girl who looked too small for her five years, remained silent and merely latched back onto her mother as the desperate race began again. Sparing a breath to blow a bit of hair out of her eyes, the woman pushed on as she pulled the child closer to her battered body. A loud clanging noise suddenly rang through the hallway and the woman paused. Her rough breathing quickened and she began to pull at various doors in the hallway, a desperate look in her dying eyes. The first two were locked, but the third opened easily and she stumbled though it, closing it behind her with a sharp thrust. Content with the knowledge that she was somewhat safer, the woman relaxed her hold on her daughter slightly and leaned back against the door. A candle unexpectedly flared to life and the woman let out a shriek of fear, the child in her arms too terrified to do anything more that whimper quietly and hide her face in her mother's bloody, collared neck. A tall, imposing man, as dark and cold as his palace, smiled chillingly at the two, his calm demeanor more fearsome then most men's rages.  
  
"Ah, firefly. How kind of you to come visit me in my rooms." He crossed the room in a few long strides and grasped the trembling woman's chin. He studied her tear-streaked face for a long moment before turning his attention to the little girl. "And you brought the lovely little Nadia as well," he said with a leer as he ran his fingers though the small child's flame colored hair. The woman growled and yanked her daughter away from him.  
  
"Keep your damn hands off of her, Yukio," she spat viciously and carefully placed the child on the floor behind her. The man laughed obnoxiously before grinning at the enraged woman.  
  
"Take care that you don't work yourself up too much, firefly. Remember, you don't have your magic any longer. The collar takes care of that. Rather magnificent, isn't it," Yukio asked as he forcefully pulled the struggling woman toward him and pushed her hair from her neck. With a sadistic grin he leaned closer and slowly licked one of the deeper furrows that marred the woman's smooth skin. He captured a few crimson drops of blood on his tongue and smiled slowly in satisfaction at the metallic taste. "It completely negates your powers. I can see why you are so eager to be rid of it, my little firefly," he mumbled against her skin. The woman shuddered in disgust and vehemently shoved the willowy man away from herself.  
  
"Bastard," she hissed as tears filled her eyes again. "If I had access to my powers I would kill you in an instant."  
  
Yukio smirked, clearly amused by his firefly's anger and the way that her voice shook uncontrollably. He took a step closer to the infuriated woman. "I'm surprised you let that stop you."  
  
The woman looked up at him and smiled slowly. "Who says I am?"  
  
Yukio had only a moment to ponder her words before he felt the dull blade pierce his side. He blinked and stumbled back as the dagger was ripped viciously back out. After a moment he focused on the woman before him and sneered. "I always knew you had spirit. I should have left you were I found you, you ungrateful whore."  
  
The woman closed the distance between the two and thrust the dagger up to the hilt into his stomach unheeding of the blood that stained her hands and gown. "And you are nothing but a murdering maniac."  
  
"Ah, irony. How terribly extraordinary," Yukio muttered as he collapsed to the ground. Not wasting any time the woman rushed to a cluttered desk in the corner and began ripping drawers open as Nadia sat huddled by the door. With a triumphant noise the woman closed her fingers around a ring of keys.  
  
"Mama!" The woman's head whipped around at her daughter's screech. Yukio was unhurriedly pushing himself off of the ground. The bleeding had already stopped and the woman could see his wounds slowly knitting back together through his torn shirt. With a muttered oath that would make a sailor blush the woman scurried by the wounded man, scooped her daughter up in her arms again, and followed the only option open to her. She ran.  
  
She traced her steps back to where she had begun, only this time instead of attempting to open the windows she simply chose the largest one and jumped though it. She landed in a heap of twisted silk, fragmented glass, and splintered wood, her lithe body curled around her child to protect her from the dangerous shards. The rain made quick work of soaking both the woman and Nadia while the wind tore at their clothing and hair. However, the woman blessed the elements instead of cursing them. They were one of the few things that would keep Yukio from leaving his palace and by the time they had stopped she should be far away from the hellhole she had occupied for the last six years. As she reached the edge of one of the forests that marked the border of Yukio's land she turned and took one last look back. Her blood ran cold as she saw Yukio's silhouette in the broken window. The slanting rain drove relentlessly into the opening and fell around him in sheets as he stood watching her leave, laughing sinisterly.  
  
*** 


	2. Chapter One: Taken

Stolen  
  
Disclaimer: Atomic Fireballs! I have Atomic Fireballs in all of their atomicy firebally goodness! Yay! Unfortunately, I still don't own the characters. Oh well. Atomic Fireballs!  
  
Kristin: I'm aware that the prologue may have seemed a bit random, but it will tie into the story. Also, it may seem that there isn't a lot in this chapter that deals with any of the Slayers, but the next chapter should focus almost solely on Lina.  
  
Chapter One  
  
***  
  
Take this kiss upon the brow!  
  
And, in parting from you now,  
  
Thus much let me avow-  
  
You are not wrong, who deem  
  
That my days have been a dream;  
  
Yet if hope has flown away  
  
In a night, or in a day,  
  
In a vision, or in none,  
  
Is it therefore the less gone?  
  
All that we see or seem  
  
Is but a dream within a dream.  
  
-exert from 'A Dream Within a Dream', Edgar Allan Poe  
  
***  
  
Soft, downy clouds drifted aimlessly in the deep blue sky. The warm rays of the sun chased off the last remnants of a slight chill caused by a gentle breeze. Wildflowers swayed back and forth, laden down with the early morning's dew. The air was sweet and heavy with the heady scent of meadow grass and flowers. In a tree a charming little bird trilled prettily. Then the aforementioned bird burst into flames and fell from its branch. Lina Inverse didn't spare it another glance.  
  
"I feel." she began, trailing off as she seemed to ponder how to finish the sentence.  
  
"Annoyed," Gourry ventured, warily eyeing the still smoldering bird.  
  
"No."  
  
"Tired," Amelia asked Lina, her unusually droopy face betraying her own fatigue.  
  
"No."  
  
Zelgadis spared the dark sorceress an indifferent glance. "Bored?"  
  
"Hungry." Lina frowned as she rolled a gold coin over her deft fingers. "Isn't there supposed to be a village somewhere around here?" The other three members of the quartet ignored her and continued onward. None of them noticed the mist that crept over the ground tracking them.  
  
*  
  
"Adora!" Yukio Warui pushed open one of the several doors that led to his back gardens, a pleased smile on his sallow face. "Adora," he called again, this time allowing a bit of impatience to color his rather bland voice.  
  
"I'm over here, milord," a sweet lilting voice heralded from behind a cluster of bushes to Yukio's right. Yukio grinned and with a wave of his hand parted the shrubbery to allow for easier passage. His grin widened as he glanced at a young woman of about twenty-two who was perched daintily on a stone and the large group of adolescent girls who sat at her feet. The young woman looked up from her tiny stitches on an extravagant work of embroidery and tucked a long tendril of dark brown hair behind her ear. "Is there anything that I may do for you, milord?"  
  
"I have a bit of job for you," Yukio began as he waved away the younger girls. They silently collected their own needlework and scattered into the depths of the gardens. "I discovered a rather spectacular specimen and would like for you to acquire her for my collection. She's such a wonderfully delectable little sorceress." Adora's careful smile faltered and she bowed her head forward so that her long bangs would hide the sickened expression on her elegant face.  
  
"Is that not a job for the meshits, milord," she asked, barely able to keep the loathing from her voice. Yukio turned toward Adora, a displeased frown turning his face from unattractive to gruesome. Adora twisted her lips into a calm smile and lowered her eyes demurely. "What I mean, of course, is that I do not have the power to ensnare this sorceress of yours if she is indeed powerful enough to warrant your attention." She glanced up at her lord through her eyelashes, a calculating look in her almond shaped brown eyes.  
  
Yukio gazed down at her almost distrustfully for a long moment before nodding. "Of course one as weak as you could not be expected to do something like this on your own. Very well, take as many of them as you like." With a short nod Adora rose from her seat and turned to walk away in a swirl of transparent silk. She had just reached the door when she heard Yukio call out to her again. "Adora, tell Mai to come to my quarters this evening after dinner." Adora flinched at the eleven-year-old girl's name.  
  
"Yes, milord," she replied as she walked through the door. Tossing a disgusted look behind her she closed the door and muttered, "Pedophilic bastard."  
  
*  
  
"Give me back my potatoes!"  
  
"That was my hand!"  
  
"Would you please watch where you point that thing?"  
  
"They belong to me!"  
  
"I had them first!"  
  
"Ow! Ow! Owie ow! I asked you to watch where you point that thing!"  
  
"They're mine!"  
  
"Mine!"  
  
"Mine!"  
  
"Stop throwing those forks!"  
  
"Mine!"  
  
"Let go of my hair!"  
  
"Don't eat that, it's still alive!"  
  
"Then get your elbow out of my face!"  
  
"Miss Lina! Stop hitting him with my chicken!"  
  
"It's my chicken now!"  
  
"Ow! That isn't food!"  
  
"Check please." The waitress inched her way over, looking as though she would rather face a pack of starving lions than enter the war zone that was Lina and Gourry's lunch. She hastily shoved the check at the single sane person at the table, which was odd because he was the only person she had ever seen with blue stone skin, and fled to the back room where she could hide under the sink. Zelgadis scanned the check; inwardly flinching at the damage one restaurant could do to their funds he wordlessly passed it to Amelia who had given up on ever rescuing her chicken. It was sort of sad that they could still be surprised by how much their two companions would eat if given the chance. With a resigned sigh Amelia began fishing the correct amount of coins out of her pouch.  
  
".could empty the royal treasury.never eat this much if they were paying.can't be natural.daddy's going to kill me." Amelia grumbled, not her usual optimistic self when faced with the much lighter pouch.  
  
"Excuse me, but would one of you happen to be Lina Inverse?" Amelia turned in her seat and smiled at the lone woman behind her.  
  
"She's the one with gravy on her nose," Amelia answered. The woman's lips tightened slightly as she looked over the princess's shoulder at the red- haired sorceress, who did indeed have gravy on her nose. As well as her shirt. And in her hair. And on her ear. Trying desperately not to look too put out at the sight of the girl that her lord had taken an interest in she squared her shoulders and walked around the table to Lina's side.  
  
"Miss Inverse, might I have a word with you?" Lina, who was busy playing tug-a-war with Gourry over a loaf of bread, ignored her in favor of food. The woman arched an eyebrow before sighing irritably. With an impatient frown plastered on her face, she snatched the bread from the two warrior's hands, broke it in two, and gave Gourry one half while dangling the other in front of Lina's face. "Miss Inverse," the woman began again, this time allowing her voice to take on a sharper edge, "I really must insist on having a word with you."  
  
Lina looked up at the rather tall woman who was towering over her and grabbed the bread from her hand. "So talk."  
  
The woman pulled a chair up to the table and sank down onto it. "My name is Adora Dorei and I am supposed to be here on behalf of my lord, Yukio Warui, who has taken a special interest in you, Miss Lina. However, seeing as you would probably not like what he has in mind, I thought that I should warn you. The meshits should be here any moment. Once they arrive I won't be able to help you, so I must say this quickly. You need to hide, right now. I don't care where you hide, just as long as it is someplace that they won't see you. The kitchen would work fine," Adora said quickly, holding one hand up in a gesture for Lina, who was in the middle of opening her mouth to talk, to stay quiet and listen. "The moment that we leave, you need to get to holy ground or sacred ground, or anything like that. My lord's magic is not able penetrate the barrier that surrounds that type of protected ground, and it is with his magic that he will try to find you again." The four young people at the table stared at Adora blankly for a moment.  
  
"Come again," Amelia asked, a somewhat dazed expression on her face as she peered around Lina's shoulder. Adora sighed and pressed her face into her hands.  
  
"There's no time for that right-"  
  
"Miss Dorei. Is this her?" A voice that sounded like a mixture of fingernails scraping down a chalkboard and gravel grinding together echoed through the room. Adora slowly stood, her pitying eyes fixed on Lina's.  
  
"Yes. This is her." Several tall figures swathed in tattered black cloth glided into the room, their glowing, blood red eyes the only visible features on their faces. The air grew heavy with magic and seemed to shimmer as they passed through the door. The next instant they, along with Lina and Adora, were gone. Gourry leapt up from his seat, all thoughts of his lunch forgotten.  
  
"Lina!"  
  
***  
  
Kristin: Yes, I do have a reasonable explanation for how she was kidnapped. I'm just not going to tell you yet.  
  
Special Thanks to:  
  
Cookie: I'm hoping that the entire thing will be original, but even if it's just the beginning that is, I'll still be happy.  
  
Slayers Otaku-Girl: *grins sheepishly* Yep. I convinced myself about an hour after I posted chapter one that I wouldn't be able to continue it at all, so I took it off. However, on Friday I felt the urge to try and write up an outline for the story, just to see if I could do it. Low and behold I could! So here I am, the second chapter already done, and itching to get back to my computer (I have to use the family computer to update) so I can work on chapter three.  
  
Celestyl- *looks at the poor little bruised tips of her fingers* I'm writing as fast as I can! Well, not really, but I am trying!  
  
Samanda Hime-sama- You wrote Like Snow Upon A Raven's Back! And you're reviewing my story? Your story is awesome. When do you plan on updating again?  
  
paintedstars- Is that a good interesting, or a bad interesting? 


	3. Chapter Two: An Ornate Prison

Chapter Two  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine, and after seeing some of the things that people have done to the characters, I'm kind of glad they aren't mine. If they were, I think I would cry.  
  
***  
  
For, alas! Alas! with me  
  
The light of Life is o'er!  
  
"No more- no more- no more-"  
  
(Such language holds the solemn sea  
  
To the sands upon the shore)  
  
Shall bloom the thunder-blasted tree,  
  
Or the stricken eagle soar!  
  
-exert from 'To One in Paradise', Edgar Allan Poe  
  
***  
  
Lina could practically feel time slow as the room around her developed a dull gray haze and an icy chill seeped through the thin cloth of her clothes. One of the creatures, a meshit she assumed, suddenly appeared before her, its rotten breath unbearably pungent as it breathed in her face. She flinched back in surprise, or would have if she could have moved. With a sinking feeling in her stomach, Lina attempted to lift her arm. It didn't budge from its spot at her side. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't even hear her heart beating. But her magic, she still felt her magic pulsing through her veins.  
  
Click.  
  
It felt as though a part of her very innermost being had been savagely ripped out of her. She felt empty, incomplete. It was gone. It was worse than just that time of the month, because then she could at least still feel it, deep down inside and a bit dysfunctional, but it was still there. This feeling however, this was wrong. Her very soul cried out in anguish as it was hollowed out of one the key things that had been sustaining it for so many years. In the deepest recesses of her mind Lina aware that she was able to move again, but she was unconcerned with that now. Without her mind controlling her body she crumpled to the ground, a cold metal collar cruelly biting into her neck. Her last conscious thought as she lay lifelessly on the floor was of her magic. Then everything went black.  
  
*  
  
Adora watched the young sorceress with pity as the meshits lifted her and carried her away to what would become her room. No, not her room, her prison. A prisoner was still a prisoner no matter how ornate their trappings were. She served her lord loyally, for to do otherwise was to sign away what little life remained in her, but watching what he did to the others almost made her wish that she truly was dead. Almost. "I do not understand why you felt it necessary for me to accompany the meshits to find the girl, milord. I did nothing."  
  
Yukio smiled from behind the emotionally exhausted girl and slowly ran his fingertips up and down her bare arms. "Ah, but that is where you are wrong. You saw my power in action. You are lenient, my pet. You barely know her and yet already your heart overflows with compassion for her," Yukio said, pausing his ministrations to Adora's arms as she tensed. "I need for you to remember what happens to those who do not obey me. That is why you went to get her with them. That is why you returned. I own you, and as long as I own you, you will never escape me. Remember that."  
  
Adora remained frozen in place as Yukio leaned forward and pressed an almost fatherly kiss against her cheek. Her eyes closed tightly, a few tears catching on her eyelashes, as she listened to his footsteps until they faded and blended in with the other noises of the old palace. Then, when she felt that she had composed herself enough, she turned made her way to Lina's room.  
  
*  
  
When Lina woke up her head felt fuzzy, as though it had been filled with fluff, and she was having trouble forming the simplest of thoughts. It took her several minutes to realize that she was laying on a rather comfortable bed instead of the hard, packed ground she had grown accustomed to during her traveling and that someone had changed her clothes. It took her even longer to register the fact that someone was dozing in an armchair beside her head. A familiar someone whom Lina felt certain she should remember, but for the life of her was unable to. As the woman stirred slightly in the chair a name popped into Lina's head and she decided to try it out just for the heck of it. "Adora?"  
  
Adora's eyes snapped open and she jumped to her feet, a rather nervous expression on her weary face. After taking a deep, shuddering breath to collect herself, she turned to Lina and smiled weakly. "So, you're awake then. Good, I was beginning to fear that you would sleep forever."  
  
Lina blinked, decided that she must be dreaming because it was the only explanation for why she felt as dense as Gourry, and attempted to nod her head. It turned out to be one of her less brilliant ideas. "Argh," she moaned as she clutched her throbbing head with her hand; a milky black curtain of transparent silk, which was attached to her wrist by a simple silver bangle, draped itself over her face in the process. Lina blinked at the material in confusion and pushed it away. The older woman lowered herself down onto the bed, careful not to jostle the young sorceress too much, and gently pried Lina's hand away from her face. With another weak smile she lifted a goblet to Lina's lips and murmured soothingly for the girl to drink from it. With a grimace Lina did as she was told, and after a moment a bit of color returned to her rather pale face. "What happened? Where am I," Lina asked, not liking at all how frail her usually boisterous voice sounded.  
  
Adora grimaced slightly and glanced at a portrait of a lovely young woman on the wall as she helped a protesting Lina sit up. The instant her eyes landed on the painting she forced her lips into a somewhat fixed smile. "You are," she began in an overly-cheerful, loud voice," in the home of my lord Yukio Warui, who has graciously decided to have you as a guest." Then Adora leaned forward under the pretense of straightening Lina's gown on her shoulders and whispered in her ear, "He's a sadistic madman who has decided to make you the newest addition to his collection of women. He's listening to our conversation from behind the wall. Wait until I tell you before you ask any more questions." Adora leaned back from the sorceress and smiled brightly. "You really should get out of bed so that I can help you with your hair."  
  
"My hair," Lina asked, the wary expression on her face suggesting that she doubted the sanity of the older woman. "Why my hair?" Adora grasped her arm in a surprisingly tight grip and practically pulled Lina off of the bed, who sputtered as she stumbled over the long skirt of her dress. With only a little bit of force, Adora guided Lina across the room and onto a plush bench before an ornate vanity.  
  
"Lord Yukio wishes to speak with you immediately," Adora chirped happily as she snatched a brush from one of the vanity's drawers and began untangling Lina's hair. Her eyes darted to the mirror and in its reflection she could see the picture of the woman. The annoyingly happy smile remained in place, betrayed only by the guarded look in her eyes. "We must have you looking presentable if you are to have an audience with the lord. Please, hush for now. There will be time for questions later, child."  
  
Lina started at the motherly tone in the other woman's voice and studied Adora's reflection in the mirror as she fussed over the sorceress's fiery locks. The older woman's face was smooth and unlined with an elegant, almost understated beauty. Her wavy brown hair cascaded down her back, held out of her face by some sort of pin Lina couldn't see from where she was sitting. The effect should have been that of a woman in the prime of her youthful beauty, but her eyes ruined that. Most of the time they were hidden by Adora's long bangs, but the few times Lina caught a glimpse of the shimmering brown orbs she was surprised by the weariness and acumen they held. They were far too old to be the eyes of one as youthful as Adora, no matter what she had seen. Lina was so absorbed in studying her chosen subject that she nearly fell off of her seat when the object of her scrutiny heaved a sigh and carefully arranged one final wisp of hair.  
  
"He's gone now," Adora said in a normal tone of voice, the gleeful smile slipping from her face to be replaced by a more maternal one. "Not that it matters any longer. Your hair is done and there is no other reason to detain you from your meeting with him." Adora gently grasped the still- groggy Lina by her elbow and turned her toward a full-length mirror. "What do you think?" Lina glanced at herself in the mirror, did a double-take, blinked, and brought a trembling hand up to clutch at her neck.  
  
Her dress was lovely. It was made from several layers of transparent black silk that accentuated and clung to her curves. It was held up at the shoulder by two silver brooches and loosely hugged her torso before flaring out at her hips. The sleeves were slit from shoulder to wrist, where they tied to bracelets on Lina's wrists. A glance back at Adora confirmed that she was adorned in a similar costume in white. Lina's hair had been skillfully arranged on top of her head in a series of intricate coils and curls. However, the dress and her hair were not what had surprised Lina. The surprise was the thin metal cord that was wound around her neck, a small lock hanging from it to rest in the hollow of her throat. "What is this," she asked in a choked whisper. Lina jumped back as Adora tried to place a comforting hand on her shoulder, and instinctively tried to make a fireball. Nothing happened. Lina stared at her hands in horror. "What's happened to me?"  
  
Adora sighed and walked to the room's door. "I will explain on the way to Yukio's rooms, but we really must leave now. If we are late then he will punish both of us." Lina nodded blindly and drifted over to stand beside Adora. She opened the door and motioned for Lina to walk through first, but stopped her for a moment as she stepped over the threshold. "I'm truly sorry that you got mixed up in this, child."  
  
Lina glanced up at the taller woman with terror in her large scarlet eyes. Then she gathered the last few remnants of her pride around her and with her head held high and her shoulders thrown back, she stepped out the door and fell into step beside Adora as they strode down the corridor.  
  
***  
  
Special Thanks to:  
  
Graywords-girl- I already replied to your review in an e-mail, but basically to recap, thanks for the review, never heard of the movie.  
  
Slayers Okatu-Girl  
  
paintedstars- *dances around happily* I made your favorite's list! Yay!  
  
Samanda Hime-sama- Yay about you updating soon, but I'm not exactly big on lemons. In fact, I generally try to avoid reading things with explicit sex in them. So far I haven't minded reading your story because it doesn't really have anything that bad in it; however, due to personal preferences, I won't be reading the lemon chapter. As far as your question goes, yes there will be romance later on, no it will not be Lina and Zelgadis and nothing will change my mind about that. However, if it makes you feel any better she will be with a canon character. Want to make a guess at who it will be? 


	4. Chapter Three: Dark Gentleman

Stolen  
  
Disclaimer: Characters you recognize are not mine. Adora, Yukio, and any other people I feel the need to throw in are mine. Please don't steal them. I rather like them, well, except for Yukio, but I get to decide how he dies, so I'm still happy.  
  
IMPORTANT!!! This is not going to be a Lina/Zelgadis story. There is nothing you can do to change my mind. It is L/G and A/Z. Sorry if you're disappointed.  
  
Kristin: Nobody's really asked about Adora, but I thought I'd say something about her anyway. She is a character who was initially created out of need to support part of the story. Despite this, she has developed a life and personality of her own. Don't ask how, she just did. The fact of the matter is that she is going to be one of the main characters in this story and will most likely develop into a Mary Sue. However, she will not save the day, although she will help Lina out with some stuff, and she will not be paired off with anyone, much less one of the canon characters. She will remain blissfully single. I think that just about covers it all. If you have any questions feel free to ask.  
  
Chapter Three  
  
***  
  
The prince of darkness is a gentleman.  
  
-William Shakespeare (Good Ole Bill. *grins* My English teacher hates it when I call him that.)  
  
***  
  
Numbness seeped slowly through Lina's mind as she struggled to uphold her cool façade while walking down the endless corridors beside Adora. It was everything she could do to keep from falling apart, and falling into shock was a rather good way to deal with situations that you didn't want to confront. A small voice in the back of her mind acknowledged that her response wasn't the best way to react to her predicament. It was hastily shushed by louder voices screaming in distress. She had been in more than her fair share of bad circumstances, but never like this before. Her magic was inaccessible, if not gone altogether. It was several minutes before she even realized that Adora was speaking. Her face completely blank, Lina looked up at her escort. "What?"  
  
Adora stared down at her with pitying eyes. Lina hated that expression. It implied that there was something wrong with the situation and that Lina would be unable to correct the problem. Pity was a useless emotion that did more to promote hopelessness than anything else. "I was explaining about the collar. Would you like for me to begin again?" Lina nodded, her face turned firmly away from Adora's. "Very well. As I was saying, the collar works like a magic magnet. It attracts its wearer's magic and locks it away, in a manner of speaking. If you manage to remove the collar, which I highly doubt, then your magic will return. Unfortunately, that only happened once, and the backlash from the magical buildup caused the woman to, er, explode." Adora glanced at Lina out of the corner of her eye. "All in all, I wouldn't suggest that route, although it would get you out of this hellhole."  
  
Lina blinked slowly, her groggy mind fumbling as it attempted to work out all of the information it had been presented with. "How many women does he have here," she asked, the detachment in her voice startling even her.  
  
"Over a hundred." Lina's pace slowed to a stop and she frowned.  
  
"If there are so many of you, and only one of him, then why don't you all just attack him and escape." Her head snapped up when Adora laughed bitterly.  
  
"He's too powerful," Adora answered, her voice full of loathing, "Even with as many of us as there are, he is still too powerful." She leveled an appraising gaze on Lina and frowned lightly. "We're going to have trouble with you, I can tell," she sighed, and grasped Lina's elbow to lead her back down the corridor they had been traveling. "There's something you should see before you meet Yukio. It might stop you from doing something foolish."  
  
Lina glared at the woman as she ripped her arm out of her hand. "I thought you said he would get angry if we were late," she sneered mockingly. Adora turned and stared at her. The pitying expression was back, this time backed up with sorrow. Lina pushed back the guilt that was attempting to creep up in her mind.  
  
"He'll approve of this reason. Come, child. We should still be quick about this." Adora reached out again and took a hold of Lina's elbow. Lina let her this time, chanting in her mind that this was all just a dream and she would wake up soon.  
  
It's just a dream. It's just a dream. It's just a dream.  
  
They passed by a little girl of about seven who drifted into a room, a bit of ice clamped over a black eye.  
  
It's just a dream. It's just a dream. It's just a dream.  
  
The sound of crying drifted out of an open door. Lina glanced inside and in the bedroom a woman who looked only a year older than her was comforting a child of about five who was obviously her daughter.  
  
It's just a dream. It's just a dream. It's just a dream.  
  
"No! Don't let him near her! Please! NO!" Adora's eyes stared straight ahead, but Lina's head whipped around. A meshit was carrying a girl of about nine down the hallway, while another was holding back the child's mother, who was struggling for all she was worth.  
  
It's just a dream. It's just a dream. It's not a dream. NO! It's just a dream.  
  
Adora stopped in front of a closed door and pulled a key ring out of a hidden pocket. With swift decisiveness that came from years of experience she easily plucked a key from the jumble and inserted it into the lock. She glanced back uneasily at Lina as it trying to decide whether or not she should do this.  
  
It's just a dream. It's just a dream. It's just a dream.  
  
Her face lost it's uncertainty and she pushed the door open just enough to allow her and Lina entrance. Lina gagged as she passed through the door and sagged back against its frame. The air was laced with the pungent stench of death and rotting flesh. She blinked as her eyes slowly adjusted to the low light in the damp stone room. As the room came into focus Lina felt her stomach lurch and she turned away from Adora, who rested a cool hand on her neck and soothingly rubbed her back as she vomited.  
  
It's just a dream. It's just a dream. Oh gods, it's not a dream.  
  
Lina feebly raised her head and shrugged off Adora's hands. The room was fill with wooden stakes that seemed built into the floor and ceiling. Manacles were attached near the top of the poles, and only a few of the poles close to the back of the room were empty. The majority were full. Dozens of women, most younger than Lina, hung listlessly from the chains. They were all dead and they were all dressed in outfits similar to Lina and Adora's. Lina stumbled forward a step, one quavering hand stretched out. Adora's hand darted out and clutched Lina's wrist in a painfully tight grip. "They're real, there's no reason for you to touch them."  
  
Lina nodded and Adora slowly let go of her wrist. Lina gazed at the corpses, taking in their saggy decaying flesh, which fell off in putrid clumps, and the dried bodily fluids that streaked their dresses and gathered in dry, sticky puddles beneath them. She raised her gaze to one of the body's face and stumbled back in alarm. The girl was about the same age as Amelia and bore an almost uncanny resemblance to the young princess. "Was she, I mean, is she," Lina trailed off, looking at Adora in desperation.  
  
"No, she isn't your friend." Lina let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding. The raw horror of the situation seeped into Lina's mind, chillingly gruesome. Her breath quickened and she backed up, running into Adora.  
  
"Please, I can't," Lina whispered brokenly, not quite sure what she was asking for. "Please." Adora nodded and led the trembling girl from the room. Lina looked up at Adora once they were safely back in the corridor and well on their way. "Why?"  
  
Adora stared at the floor, suddenly fascinated with the tiling. "They displeased him. I should have stopped them, I could have stopped them, but I didn't, and so they displeased him and he punished them."  
  
"Is that the only room like that?"  
  
"No." The rest of their walk was spent in silence.  
  
They finally stopped in front of a pair of lavishly carved double doors just as Lina was beginning to wonder if they would ever arrive. Adora motioned for her to wait and passed through the doors. Lina stared blankly out a window as she heard the low mumbling of conversation through the door. After several minutes Adora came back out into the hallway, a child at her side. Lina glanced at the little girl and recognized her as the one that the meshit had carried away. Her dress was torn in several places and she cried as she clutched at Adora's skirt.  
  
Adora gently grasped Lina's chin and looked intently into her scarlet eyes. "You're strong, child, but don't try to fight him. Don't let him break you, but don't fight him. Learn how to bend your will. Be submissive and demure, but don't let him claim your spirit. Survival is all that matters at this point. You need only go through this part by yourself. If you survive this part, then the rest of us will be here to help support you." Adora bent and gathered the still-crying child in her arms and gently pushed Lina through the open door. Lina jumped as the door closed behind her and a key turned in the well-oiled lock. She was trapped.  
  
The room was dimly lit with dozens of candles that cast an almost romantic atmosphere over the room. The floor was hardwood with several rugs of various colors scattered across it. In one corner of the room a gleaming mahogany table was set with a half-eaten dinner. The rest of the room was filled with plush armchairs, the majority of which were positioned around a marble fireplace. Beside the fireplace was another, much plainer door. Lina got the feeling that going through the door now wouldn't be looked upon kindly. She continued to study the room. The dark, wood paneled walls were lined with bookcases. Lina stepped forward curiously, sinking into a plush burgundy rug as she did so, and traced over the binding of a thick, leather bound volume. With the care of a person who is unfamiliar with handling books on a regular basis but still knows of their worth, she lifted the book from its shelf and opened it to the title page. She blinked when she didn't recognize the language and carefully returned it to its place. Lina turned away from the bookshelf and glanced around the room again. Her eyes landed on a slightly familiar portrait and she wandered over to have a better look at it.  
  
It was almost identical to the painting that was in the room she had awoken in. The woman in the portrait was still fairly young, probably in her mid to late twenties. Her full lips were turned up in a sad smile and long, light brown hair cascaded around her in a waterfall of silken tresses. Poignant, half-lidded black eyes gazed out of the portrait. Lina blinked. If the woman's hair was darker and her eyes brown, she would be identical to Adora. Even the expression was the same.  
  
"My late wife," a low voice said from behind Lina. She froze at the sound of it and involuntarily shivered in distress. "She was quite a remarkable woman. I believe we would have gotten along quite well if she hadn't hated me. My name is Yukio Warui. You may call me Lord Yukio, Lord Warui, or simply my lord, if you desire." Lina turned slowly around and studied the man who was standing beside the fireplace, the door barely open behind him.  
  
Long fingers fiddled with two wineglasses and a dusty bottle of wine. Lank black hair fell into intelligent, if not slightly mad, brown eyes and framed a face that was both too pale and too narrow. His nose was too long, his eyes too far apart, and his lips too thin. His frame was tall and lanky, as though he had never quite exited that rather awkward stage of puberty that all boys seem to go through. He was clothed in a well-tailored silk shirt and linen pants with a silk housecoat over them, all in black. "You look like an overgrown bat," Lina muttered.  
  
Yukio blink, clearly not expecting that reaction, and then laughed. He crossed the room in a few long strides and placed the wine and glasses on a rather cluttered desk. He motioned for Lina to take a seat and he filled the glasses with dark red wine. She warily sank down into a dark green lounger and was nearly engulfed by the plush cushions. Yukio handed her a glass, which she absentmindedly accepted, while she studied his expression. He appeared rather laid-back and relaxed, as though there was nothing out of the ordinary about their situation. Then again, Lina reflected, he probably didn't see anything strange about kidnapping women. "What are you going to do to me?"  
  
"You really are rather direct, aren't you," Yukio commented as he sipped languidly at his wine. "If Adora hasn't already given you her speech about boundaries then I'm sure that she will after our little interview." At the mention of the other woman's name Lina glanced at the portrait that hung innocently on the wall. "The resemblance between them really is amazing, isn't it? A bit of luck for Adora. I probably would have had her killed long ago if it wasn't for the fact that she reminds me of my beloved Toritsuki." Yukio smiled tightly for a moment before returning his penetrating gaze to Lina's face. "Are you comfortable in your room?"  
  
Lina frowned at the abrupt change in conversation. "You didn't answer my question." Yukio tilted his head to the side and frowned at her in puzzlement.  
  
"Yes, what I will do with you. Why should I do anything with you? You belong to me now and I am content with the knowledge that you are flitting around on the grounds somewhere, doing whatever it is that you women do," Yukio said with a dismissive wave of his hand. Lina could hear her blood roaring in her ears as she glared at him venomously.  
  
"I don't," she growled, the last of the fog in her mind burned away as a fiery rage began to pulse through her veins. Yukio looked up, a blank smile on his face.  
  
"Pardon?"  
  
"I don't belong to you, or anyone for that matter," Lina hissed as she rose from her seat. The wineglass slipped through her fingers and the blood red wine splashed across the snowy white throw rug at her feet. It had already begun to sink in that this wasn't a dream, but just hearing this presumptuous bastard claiming her as his own suddenly made her realize just how real her situation was. She didn't have to stand for this; she wouldn't stand for this. She crossed the room and yanked Yukio to his feet by the front of shirt. Yukio's hand that wasn't holding a wine glass began to reach up, but Lina was already moving. By the time it was halfway to her wrist she had reared up and swung her fist. A satisfied grin spread across Lina's face as she heard the sickening crunching noise that indicated a broken nose. After a moment she released his shirt, expecting for him to crumple to the ground. To her surprise he merely stood up straighter and wiped a bit of blood from beside his nose, which had already healed. The blood drained from Lina's face and she took a step back. "What kind of monster are you?"  
  
Yukio smiled, his dark brown eyes glittering cruelly in the candlelight. "Why I'm merely a human, my dear little firefly; although, many would claim that the race of man is the worst of all monsters in existence." Yukio's hand flying toward her face was the last thing Lina saw before the almost welcome darkness of unconsciousness claimed her.  
  
Yukio regarded the young woman who lay crumpled on his carpet with interest. "Fascinating."  
  
***  
  
Kristin: I'm sorry it took so long to update. Over the weekend I was working on a science project that was due on Tuesday that was worth two test grades (I got a 98. YAY! My science teacher hates me. I was surprised that she didn't fail me just because. She has done that before.), on Wednesday I was fasting and spent most of the day in prayer so that I would be more thankful today, and today I was helping my mom make Thanksgiving dinner and finishing knitting a scarf (Yes, I do knit. I am not ashamed of this and often do it during my free time at school.). Anyway, after dinner some friends came over for dessert and dominoes and I feel terrible because instead of being down there with them, I'm up in my room working on my chapter. You people had better appreciate this. *attempts to glare fiercely but fails miserably*  
  
Special Thanks to:  
  
Graywords-girl: I don't mind the accusation. If it weren't for people like you then there would probably be a lot more people running around taking credit for things that don't belong to them.  
  
Jaretha: The prologue will be cleared up later in the story.  
  
Sami-chan Bishie Chaser: "Consider me your loyal pet" *Looks at her mother* She followed me home, can I keep her?  
  
Slayers Otaku-Girl: I have heard of Kiss the Girls but I've never seen it and the only reason I've heard of it is because somebody already asked if this was based on it.  
  
Cookie: I'm glad Yukio is disturbing. He's supposed to be. If I made him nice then too many people would be upset if I kill him off later.  
  
Dan Inverse  
  
Celestyl  
  
luna: I know that she seems out of character right now, but she will be better later. The reason that she was acting the way that she was was because she was in shock both from the situation that she suddenly found herself in and from loosing her magic. Hopefully her temper is 'kicking in' a bit better now. *grins* Thanks for the critique though. 


	5. Chapter Four: After

Stolen  
  
Disclaimer: Why do I even bother anymore? We all know I don't own them. Sue me and I'll sick the meshits on you. (I do own them. *grins*)  
  
WARNING! The beginning of this chapter deals with the subject of rape. The majority is just implied, but if this makes you uncomfortable, you might want to skip some.  
  
Kristin: I had a question about the meaning of Yukio's name. All of the names of original characters in this story have meanings. I don't just randomly choose names I think are nice and toss them in. At the end of the chapter there will be a guide to the names that I have used so far and an explanation for each. If you find it helpful, let me know and I will do it at the end of every chapter where I introduce a new character.  
  
***  
  
No passion so effectually robs the mind of all it powers of acting and reasoning as fear.  
  
- Edmund Burke  
  
***  
  
Lina groaned and twisted her head away from a rather unwelcome light that was rudely shining in her closed eyes. With an irate sigh she attempted to blink only to find that one of her eyes would only open enough to let in the smallest sliver of sight. With a puzzled frown she tiredly lifted a hand to her face.  
  
Clink.  
  
The sound of scraping metal and the feel of rough iron cruelly biting into her wrists quickly brought Lina back to herself. She attempted to sit up, a difficult task with both of her hands chained above her head and her ankles bound together, as images of bloated corpses filled her mind. After several minutes of struggling she finally managed to sit halfway up when the collar constricted around her neck and she collapsed again with a choked cough. She nearly missed the sound of the door opening and with renewed vigor struggled indefatigably. A whimper of pain slipped from between Lina's lips as her wrists were rubbed raw by the jagged metal and blood oozed down her forearms and pooled in her palms. Her eyes stung with unshed tears and she blinked hard to keep them from falling.  
  
A weight dropped down beside her, a part of her mind silently registered the fact that she was in a bed, and she rolled toward it unwillingly as the mattress dipped. As she continued to struggle, she could feel the almost sensual sensation of satin sheets slipping over her bare skin. Lina looked up with her one good eye and recoiled at the sight of Yukio. Her breath hitched in her throat and she watched in blind horror as her new master produced a dagger and stroked her cheek with the razor-sharp blade. She caught her lower lip between her teeth and bit down hard as she felt her skin part and warm blood slowly trickle down her face. Yukio moved so that he was straddling Lina's hips and brought his lips down close to her ear.  
  
"You belong to me now, don't you," he said lowly, forming the question as a statement. Lina closed her eyes tightly and drew in a shaky breath. "Don't you," Yukio roared when she didn't answer, slashing the dagger across her other cheek. Lina cried out in pain and nodded feebly. A few tears slipped from between her eyelids and stung as they hit the shallow cuts. Yukio smiled thinly in satisfaction and laid the flat of the dagger's blade against the sensitive skin of her throat. "So lovely, yet so strained with blood, both in body and soul," he murmured and pressed the point of the dagger harder against her until the skin threatened to break. "If you would cease your disrespectful actions I would treat you very well," he whispered in a husky, seductive tone. Lina whimpered and vainly attempted to pull away as his head lowered and she felt the warmth of his damp breath caress her cold skin. "You have the potential to become one my favorites," he said softly and barely brushed his lips against hers in an action that Lina found almost more revolting than if he had kissed her fully. Her entire body tensed momentarily before trembling in terror as he trailed the tips of his fingers down her side and along her thigh. Lina opened her mouth to scream, an action that was immediately cut of as Yukio's lips crashed down brutally onto hers. With a feeble whimper of protest she closed her eyes tightly and blocked her mind to what Yukio was doing as he lay flush against her body.  
  
*  
  
Lina woke up in a dark, cool room and sat up quickly before collapsing back onto the bed in pain. "Oof! I really need to stop doing that," she groaned as her head swam with nausea.  
  
"I would suggest the same, my dear," a teasing voice commented from the shadows. Lina blinked and peered into the corner. A tall, stately girl with rich ebony skin stepped into sight, her full lips twisted into a jaunty smile. Her dress was of the same cut as Lina and Adora's, which Lina was beginning to suspect was the normal attire for Yukio's prisoners, but dyed a vivid red that made her bright brown eyes shine. Lina attempted to sit up again, slowly this time. The girl's eyes widened and she quickly placed the bowl in her hands onto a table beside the bed and rushed to help. "My name is Ayoka," the girl said in a conversational tone as she helped Lina prop herself up with several fluffy pillows. "Adora sent me to take care of you. She spent the better part of the past week in here with you. I think that she might have stayed the entire time if it wasn't for her duties," Ayoka prattled as she smoothed and tucked blankets around Lina. Lina frowned lightly in confusion and massaged the bridge of her nose with her fingers.  
  
"The past week? What do you mean?" The smiled slipped from Ayoka's lips as she turned a thoughtful gaze on the bedridden sorceress.  
  
"You've been delirious with fever for the last week. You're pretty lucky that Adora found you when she did. You were nearly dead," she chattered as she gathered the almost forgotten bowl and produced a spoon. As she held them gingerly her mouth briefly twisted in to an amused smile. "I don't think I've ever seen her that angry before. Yukio looked almost frightened. He even forgot to punish her for her insubordination," the birdlike girl exclaimed with a burst of infectious laughter before quickly sobering and lifting a broth filled spoon to Lina's lips. "See if you can keep some of this down." Lina fought back the urge to argue about being handled like a child by a girl that was obviously younger than her and submitted to the treatment with uncharacteristic meekness.  
  
"So, that really happened," Lina whispered after swallowing the nearly scalding liquid. She forcefully pushed back images of what had transpired between her and Yukio, vaguely wondering why she hadn't completely broken down yet. Or perhaps she had, perhaps she had lost her mind and this almost calm detachment was all she was capable of. Perhaps she had-Oh! Giant pink bunny! In the corner! With a.top hat? What? Lina furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as Ayoka poured more soup into her mouth, and swished it around a bit as she pondered over the flavor. There was something off about it. "Ayoka?"  
  
Ayoka, who had been babbling about the origin of soup, looked up with a smile that would have been scarily similar to Gourry's if it had been just the tiniest bit more vacant. "Yes?"  
  
"Exactly what kind of soup is this," Lina asked, warily eyeing the large bunny who had begun to tango with a talking, French dust mop.  
  
"It's just chicken soup. Nothing particularly special about," she trailed off as she watched Lina who, for all appearances, was staring intensely at an empty corner. Immediately her expressive eyes lit up with comprehension. "You're seeing something, aren't you," she asked Lina, who nodded faintly. A large sigh slipped from between the younger girl's lips as she returned the offensive soup to the bedside table. "I told Adora that we shouldn't put the drugs in the soup."  
  
Lina looked up sharply, remembered her pounding headache, swore sharply, realized that her head didn't really hurt that much anymore, pondered all of this for a moment, and then glared at Ayoka. "What do you mean 'drugs'," she growled.  
  
Ayoka blinked owlishly and smiled reassuringly. "Adora had Vita put some drugs into the soup to dull the pain. There's nothing to worry about, Vita knows what she's doing. She was a doctor before Yukio brought her here," Ayoka began before rambling on about women doctors and equality. Lina flopped back down against the pillows in exasperation and rubbed the palms of her hands over her face, wincing when she chafed the still-tender skin on her cheeks. "It really is amazing, what some worlds have accomplished. I was born here myself, but my mother always told me bedtime stories about the universe she came from. Women were viewed as goddesses there, and treated accordingly. Can you imagine what that would be like? I know that I can't!"  
  
Lina glanced at Ayoka as she flitted around the room, still talking animatedly, and interrupted. "Other worlds? Universes? What are you talking about?"  
  
Ayoka froze in what seemed to be an almost obsessive compulsive tidying of the room. She turned large, vibrant eyes on Lina and bit her lower lip. "Um, I'm really not supposed to talk to the dolls about that. I always mix things up and just make a big mess," she said as she crossed back over to Lina's side and fluffed pillows. "Just go back to sleep. You're on painkillers, still recovering from a very traumatic ordeal, and will need your strength for when the hallucination pills wear off, 'cause experiences with Yukio usually end with nervous breakdowns."  
  
Lina hesitantly slunk down in the covers, not feeling particularly reassured, but Ayoka was morphing into a chocolate carrot, and she was she to argue with a chocolate carrot?  
  
***  
  
Kristin: The second half of this chapter didn't turn out at all like what I thought it would. Pink bunnies and chocolate carrots? What is wrong with me? *wanders away muttering about seeking professional help*  
  
The names will come first, followed by their meaning. A brief explanation will be written underneath.  
  
* Yukio Warui- Yukio is a Japanese name that means 'gets what he wants'. Warui is the Japanese word for 'evil' or 'bad'.  
  
Yukio's name should be rather self explanatory. Throughout the story he will constantly take, or get, what he wants and he isn't exactly a nice person.  
  
* Adora Dorei- Adora means 'beloved one'. (I forget what culture it's from, but it isn't Japanese) Dorei the Japanese word for 'slave'.  
  
Adora's name is a bit more complicated. If it isn't obvious now then it will become obvious later that Adora is clearly Yukio's favorite. Not in the bedchamber, just in general. Another reason for this name is the fact that the other girls look to her for guidance and do in essence love her. Adora isn't just one of the faceless girls wandering around Yukio's palace. She is the one thing that keeps all of the girls from giving up and dying and by doing that she has endeared herself to them. As for the last name, while the other girls are prisoners, Adora is a slave. Yukio didn't capture her, he owns her. As her character develops during the story you will be able to understand the reasons for her names better.  
  
* The meshits- I took the word meshit from the Japanese word for 'servant', which is meshitsukai.  
  
The meshits are Yukio's servants who pretty much do his dirty work among other things. (I rather like them.)  
  
* Ayoka- Ayoka is an African name that means 'one who causes joy'.  
  
Ayoka is one of those people who can make you feel great after a really terrible day just by listening to you. She's probably one of the most optimistic girls in the palace and is constantly finding good in the worst of situations. She's so happy and nice that you just want to hate her, but you can't because even if you did she wouldn't hold it against you. (I know someone like this. She's annoying as hell if you stay around her too long, but great if you just spend short intervals of time with her. Ah, friends, the people you can dislike without really hating.)  
  
* Toritsuki- Toritsuki is the Japanese word for 'obsession'.  
  
Contrary to popular belief, Yukio really is human. Even more contrary to popular belief, he used to be a pretty nice guy. He was always a bit of a pervert, but still nice. He first fell in love with Toritsuki when she was still a child and he was probably about twenty(told you he was a pervert). He was completely obsessed with her, hence her name. The rest of their story will be told later on.  
  
Special Thanks to:  
  
methodic madness- Hopefully I was able to answer your question about his name. (probably in a bit more detail than you were expecting) Her friends won't be making another appearance until a bit after she escapes. The reason for this is complicated, and would give away too much of the plot or else I would explain it to you.  
  
Slayers Otaku-Girl- Nope, not a monster. Happy late Thanksgiving to you too.  
  
deep sea dolphin  
  
paintedstars  
  
Venus Universe- *develops mysterious aura and gazes into a crystal ball* The answer to your question shall be revealed. *grins* Just not yet. I will tell you that she's not Yukio's though.  
  
Xelena- In reference to your first question, look at the answer to the review above this one for the answer. Um, let's see, what were your other questions? Ah, yes! Yukio is very much a human. Not a mix breed or anything. Human through and through; you can check his pedigree. Adora or one of the other girls in the mansion changed her. Even I'm not really sure of that one. The colors of the dresses have meanings. I'll try to cover them in the next chapter, but please don't hold me to that. Thanks for the multiple reviews. *grins widely* They made me very happy. *points at her grin* See? Do you see the happiness? 


	6. Chapter Five: Lingering Pain

Stolen  
  
Disclaimer: Let's see, none of the characters from the anime belong to me, but everyone else in the story does. I really don't like writing these things.  
  
Kristin: I had such a busy week! I had four choir concerts (I'm in three different choirs: school, church, and community) this week and two Christmas parties to go to. And what is it about the week before exams that make teachers want to bury you under a mountain of homework and tests? *sighs and shoves unstudied science notes under the bed* Oh well, it's over now. I took the two exams I didn't exempt from and now I get to lay around the house with nothing more important to do than work on my writing.  
  
In this chapter I'm going to do something that I always swore I would never do. I'm doing a flashback scene. *hides her face in shame* I'm sorry! I've tried to be strong but it's just so hard! Please forgive me.  
  
Oh! One more thing. I LOVE President Bush! (not romantically of course) When I heard that Saddam had been captured I was so happy I started dancing. I am very much a Republican and proud of it. Don't care if you disagree with me, just don't flame if you're a Liberal or Democrat.  
  
Chapter Five  
  
***  
  
Give sorrow words; the grief that does not speak.  
  
-William Shakespeare  
  
***  
  
The soothing melody of Beethoven's Leonore Overture No. 3 drifted lightly through the room. Adora leaned back in an overstuffed armchair, her eyes closed in blissful rapture as the music lulled her into a state of quiet contentment. She languidly took a sip of water from a wineglass and fingered the dog-eared pages of the thick volume in her lap. Across the room Yukio hummed along with the orchestra as he studied the book of philosophy on the desk before him. Growing up, days like these had been her favorite. Days when she could almost believe that the relationship she shared with Yukio normal, and if she waited long enough the door would open and Toritsuki would glide into the room and tell her a story. Adora glanced up at Yukio from beneath long eyelashes. He hadn't always been this way. She didn't remember a lot from before Toritsuki's death, but she remembered that much.  
  
Any other day of the year she hated him. Any other day she would dream of his death and her freedom. Any other day but this one. In a few hours things would go back to the way that they should be, with Yukio in solitude and Adora surrounded by the other girls, but for now all of that didn't matter. For now she would love and pity him and remember the way he was before it happened. And in exactly a year she would find herself back in the same room with the same glass in her hand, the same book of fairytales in her lap, and the same music playing in the background. She continued to stare up at him, but remained silent, acknowledging and understanding the unspoken agreement between them. Yukio seemed to feel her gaze and looked up with a gentle smile, an expression that looked tremendously out of place on his face. He glanced from the clock on the mantel to the door with a pointed look on his face. Adora shook her head, her hair let down from its usual clip swinging freely, and settled back into the chair more securely. Yukio nodded and turned back to his reading.  
  
Dong! Adora started slightly as the clock began to toll midnight. Dong! She rose fluidly from her chair, tossing the book down onto the seat and setting the wineglass on a side table, and crossed the room to Yukio's side. Dong! She sank down to the floor and rested her cheek against his knee. Dong! Yukio looked down at her and threaded his fingers in her hair.  
  
Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong!  
  
Adora tensed against Yukio's leg and squeezed her eyes close. Dong! Yukio's fingers, now tangled in Adora's hair, tightened their grip around Adora's scalp. Dong! Midnight.  
  
For a long moment the air hung thick and heavy with anticipation before a piercing scream ripped through the silence and an icy, damp wind whipped through the room. Then all was quiet once more.  
  
Adora relaxed against Yukio for a brief instant, then stood. Yukio's hand fell limply by his side as the woman stood and he stonily studied the grain of the desk's wooden top. Adora rested the tips of her fingers against the crown of his head for a minute, noting the slight trembling of his shoulders and the single drop of liquid on the desk's surface. With a nod to the crying man in front of her, Adora turned and left the room, her own eyes filling with tears as she walked. With a hushed sob she closed the door behind her and slid down the smooth surface and tucked her knees up under her chin.  
  
Two hundred and thirty-one years was a long time to be separated from a person you were close with, but it was even longer when the only other person who understood your loss was the one who caused it, however inadvertently they might have done it.  
  
"Adora-hime! Adora-hime!" Adora slowly lifted her head as Ayoka's younger sister ran toward her. Her eyes narrowed slightly as the harried girl approached her. Didn't she remember what today, or rather night, was? How dare she encroach upon this sacred time!  
  
"What do you want, Tiombe," Adora asked, a slight chill entering her normally warm voice. The girl seemed unaware of the near hostility that boiled beneath the usually even-tempered woman's suddenly calm demeanor, and reached out to tug on her arm.  
  
"You must come immediately, Adora-hime! Ayoka sent me to get you. Miss Lina woke up and is behaving uncontrollably," the ten-year-old exclaimed as she pulled on Adora's arm more forcefully. Adora frown, still not pleased with being disturbed during one of the few times she considered purely her own, but rose to her feet and followed the child down the hallway.  
  
*  
  
Yukio could remember it like it was yesterday instead of over two hundred years ago as. He slumped over the desk with a pained scowl. He should have seen it coming, had seen it coming. Accusations flew through his mind as it brought up memories of that night so many years ago.  
  
It had been a night much like the current one, dreary and pelting rain in a torrent of divine fury. The wind howled and screeched with pain and anger as biting raindrops tore through it and muffled its scream. In a sharp contrast to the bleak storm outside, Yukio's study was snug and cozy with a large fire crackling merrily in the fireplace, diffusing its hospitable warm throughout the room. Yukio himself was perched before his desk, a leather-bound book of philosophy opened before unseeing, contemplative eyes. In one corner, barely illuminated in a halo of flickering candlelight, six-year-old Adora sat in a large armchair that completely engulfed her slight form. A huge book nearly as large as her was tucked beside her and one of Yukio's best wineglasses filled with water was being used by the young child, who still found merely being allowed to touch such a goblet a delight in itself.  
  
Yukio glanced at Adora and then at the clock. With a small twinge of regret he cleared his throat to gain the girl's attention. He waited until she looked up at him with large, trusting eyes before speaking. "It's getting close to midnight, Adora. You should be in bed now." The little girl shook her head vehemently, a look of dismay flashing across her round face as bright and striking as the lightening that exploded outside the window.  
  
"I couldn't! She promised to read me a story before bed," the girl said, her voice's pitch rising with each word. "She would never break a promise!" Yukio sighed, but conceded to Adora's whim even as a small voice in the back of his mind informed him that he shouldn't spoil her as he did. A louder part, the part that didn't mind spoiling the little girl rotten, wondered fitfully what was keeping Toritsuki.  
  
"Of course she would never break a promise, my dear. I'm sure she has merely lost track of time and will be along shortly. I apologize for ever insinuating that she would be untruthful." Adora smiled brilliantly in response to his apology and tumbled out of the bulky chair, tripping over the edge of her oversized nightdress. The book fell over onto the seat cushion that its owner had just vacated, the dog-eared pages rustling with the alluring promise of stories that were sure to delight a young mind. With extreme care Adora placed the wineglass down beside the gilded candelabra that sat beside the chair on a small table. With an inborn grace that came from generations of high breeding, Adora crossed the room and sat at Yukio's feet as the first of twelve 'dongs' began to call from the clock that decorated the mantel.  
  
"You're forgiven," she said with a large smile as Yukio reached down to brush her loose hair from her eyes. "But only if you tell me what in- insinuating means," she added, stumbling over the unfamiliar word. Yukio opened his mouth with a laugh to answer Adora when the last 'dong' rang out from the clock and a scream sounded in the sudden silence. A few brief seconds later the window exploded inward in a burst of shattered glass and pouring rain. The glass littered the floor, shining like precious gems as beads of rainwater collected on their slick surfaces as the curtains were rustled by the sharp wind.  
  
Lightening flashed, illuminating the room and drawing Yukio and Adora's attention to the figure that dangled before the window, a thin cord around her elegant neck. Long, light brown hair was matted to her slender body by the rain and the flickering lightening was reflected by her lifeless black eyes. Yukio stood slowly as Adora pressed her face into his calf in horror.  
  
"Toritsuki."  
  
*  
  
Adora flung open the bedroom door and entered with the ominous presence of a dark thundercloud, the timid Tiombe cowering behind her. Her mind was filled with bad memories and the last thing she felt like doing was dealing with a temperamental sorceress who thought that her life was so much worse than that of everyone else in the palace. "Where is she," she ground out, not trusting herself not to scream if she did anything more than hiss. Ayoka, who had seen her in a similar mood before, wisely remained silent and simply pointed at the bathroom door. With a curt nod she passed through that door as well, barely refraining from slamming it as she did so.  
  
Lina was scrubbing brutally at her already red skin when she entered. Adora took one look at the younger girl, kneeling naked in a the steaming water, her skin rubbed raw by its harsh treatment and scalded by the scorching water, and all her anger melted away. She suddenly felt very old and tired. "Lina," she asked softly, "What are you doing?"  
  
The fiery sorceress looked up in surprise and stilled. Her eyes gleamed with a maniacal light and her lips parted to form a small 'o'. "I'm covered with filth," she said in an oddly calm voice. "I'm trying to clean myself, but the stains won't come off." Lina looked up at Adora in confusion and lifted her raw but spotless arms for the older girl's inspection. "Why won't it go away," she asked with childlike wonder. Adora plucked a towel from a rack and helped Lina out of the water, wrapping the large length of terrycloth around her battered body as she did so to cover her nudity. Lina trembled from the sudden shock of the comparatively cold air and offered Adora a shaky smile. After a moment the smile widened and the girl laughed, slipping out of Adora's grasp and down onto the floor. She rocked back and forth, her arms wrapped tightly around her waist as she doubled over in hysterical laughter. Adora knelt before her, fighting back panic, and clutched her shoulders tightly.  
  
"Lina, why are you laughing," she asked, her own voice quivering a bit as Lina pitched forward and buried her face in her shoulder. Adora instinctively wrapped her arms around the smaller girl and slowly slowed her movements until the violent rocking became a soothing sway.  
  
"If I don't laugh," Lina breathed fitfully between chortles, "then I'll start to cry and I won't be able to stop. I'm supposed to be too strong to cry."  
  
Adora tightened her embrace on Lina. "It's alright to cry, child. No one would deny you that much at this point," she whispered, her eyes fixed on the far wall. The laughter slowly died to be replaced by body racking sobs. Adora held the crying girl until she drifted to sleep and called Ayoka in to help her carry Lina back to bed.  
  
***  
  
Kristin: I know! It was short and really bad and confusing. I meant to answer some lingering questions this time, like exactly how Lina was kidnapped, but instead all I managed to do was create more! I swear it's like I don't even have control over this story anymore. It is completely writing itself. If anyone is to be blamed it's the characters, not me. Unless you liked it. Then it was all me.  
  
* Tiombe- Tiombe is an African name that means shy.  
  
Tiombe hasn't really had a big part yet, and to be truthful probably won't have a very big part at all. Therefore I didn't feel a huge urge to do anything remarkably meaningful when it came to naming her. However, you will be able to tell that she's one of those painfully shy people who never even look other people in the eye. You know the ones I'm talking about; the ones that most people assume are snobs.  
  
Special Thanks:  
  
Irusta- I looked Adora's name up again. It's Latin, and French and Spanish are two of the languages that sort of sprouted from Latin, so you were pretty close in your guesses.  
  
Ivan Inverse- I swear that the instant I saw the words 'MURDEROUS WRATH' I thought that you hated the story and wanted to kill me! Took me a second to finish the sentence and see you meant Yukio.  
  
Slayers Otaku-Girl- I love sticking meanings on things. That and listening to my English teacher have started what I'm afraid is becoming a bit of a complex. Oh well. As for the thing with the bunny and dust mop and carrot, I swear that I just sat down at the computer and it came out. I meant for that scene to be completely different then it was but when I tried to write it the way that I wanted I just couldn't.  
  
paintedstars- If you were confused because of the stuff the Lina was seeing, then the answer is that she was filled with a bunch of drugs that made her hallucinate.  
  
Dan Inverse  
  
nightcrawler no miko  
  
deep sea dolphin- *pulls the meshit off of deep sea dolphin and hug it* Aren't they just so cute? I'm really working on trying to make the chapters longer, but it isn't going exactly the way I had hoped.  
  
Unearthly Emperor 


End file.
